I read a lot of posts that indicate problems with FMQ and saying something like "this is my first try at FMQ".
It takes practice and more practice to do it easily. You note I didn't say best or correct or right.
There is a motion skill that must be learned by each qulter. So many sad stories that imply that only thing needed is a quilt and a machine that the feed dogs drop.
Please do practice pieces, read about it, watch the videos and if at all possible take a class. I don't believe it is something one an do just by pushing the quilt around under the needle. And then please when a question is ask, give all the details. A statement like "I have my quilt sandwiched and rady to FMQ, my thread is tangling" is not enough info to give an informed answer.
Just had to write this today because I read so much frustration and pain in some of the posts about FMQ.

Good thoughts, Holice. I think some of us just think we can go ahead and do anything without practice.:) I've learned the hard way to just put in some fabric sandwich and just play.

Sounds like good advice.

I'm still a SITD person.

Well said, Holice.

thanks for the reminder :)

also---start small- and work your way up to that large quilt- don't think you can make a couple 12" pot holders look pretty good so you are ready to now do your queen size quilt.
practice on that 12" square- when that is looking pretty good- and you are feeling confident- move up to maybe a 24-30" piece---then a bit bigger and a bit bigger- each larger size will have it's own set of (issues) new feeling-new things to deal with (like handling that bulk in the throat of the machine- and the weight on the outside---it all takes practice and more practice- not many are fortunate enough to just (get it) and be able to sit down to their machine and quilt a large quilt without having spent many many hours of practicing to get to that size successfully

sorry- hit that dog=gone button twice ;-)

Thanks for posting this, great information

practice, practice, practice

Great points! I was overly confident working on 12" practice pieces, then jumping up to a 24" square really challenged me again LOL :D:D:D

I was told that it takes at least 12 hours of practice to catch on to FMQ